Landlord Entry Notice Requirements in California

At a glance

Requirements one by one

Governing law

California's rule lives in a single statute: Civil Code § 1954. It is written as an exclusive list — "a landlord may enter the dwelling unit only in the following cases" — which means the reasons and notice in § 1954 are the whole story, and a lease cannot sign them away or add a general right to "inspect whenever." (California courts treat the tenant's privacy protection here as one a lease cannot waive.) California did not adopt the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; § 1954 is its own scheme, last amended in 2018.

Advance notice required

For an ordinary, non-emergency entry the landlord must give "reasonable notice in writing," and the statute supplies the number: "Twenty-four hours shall be presumed to be reasonable notice in absence of evidence to the contrary" (§ 1954(d)(1)). The 24 hours is a presumption, not an absolute floor — a tenant could argue more time was reasonable in unusual circumstances, or a landlord less — but in practice 24 hours' written notice is the rule. If the landlord mails the notice instead of delivering it, it is presumed reasonable only if mailed "at least six days prior to an intended entry," which builds in transit time.

Reasons a landlord may enter

Section 1954(a) lists every lawful reason: an emergency; to make necessary or agreed repairs, decorations, alterations, or improvements, to supply agreed services, to exhibit the unit to "prospective or actual purchasers, mortgagees, tenants, workers, or contractors," or to make the security-deposit move-out inspection under § 1950.5(f); after the tenant has abandoned or surrendered the unit; under a court order; and two narrow technical purposes (utility submetering under § 1954.201 and substandard-housing repairs under Health & Safety Code § 17973(a)). Because the list is exclusive, a landlord cannot enter for a reason that isn't on it — a routine "just checking on the place" visit is not authorized.

Permitted hours

Entry is limited to "normal business hours." The statute says entry "may not be made during other than normal business hours unless the tenant consents to an entry during other than normal business hours at the time of entry" (§ 1954(b)), and the notice subsection repeats that the landlord may "enter only during normal business hours" (§ 1954(d)(1)). Emergencies and abandoned units are exempt. The statute itself doesn't define an exact clock, so "normal business hours" is read by its ordinary meaning.

When no notice is needed

Section 1954(e) names the only three situations that require no notice at all: "To respond to an emergency"; "If the tenant is present and consents to the entry at the time of entry"; and "After the tenant has abandoned or surrendered the unit." An emergency means a true one — fire, flood, a gas leak, a genuine threat to person or property — not a convenient excuse to skip notice. There is no catch-all for a landlord's hunch that something is wrong.

Form and delivery of the notice

The written notice "shall include the date, approximate time, and purpose of the entry" (§ 1954(d)(1)) — all three. It may be delivered personally to the tenant, left with "someone of a suitable age and discretion at the premises," or left "on, near, or under the usual entry door of the premises in a manner in which a reasonable person would discover the notice," and it may be mailed (with the six-day rule above). One shortcut exists: for agreed repairs or services, the tenant and landlord "may agree orally to an entry," so long as the agreement sets a date and approximate time within one week — and then "the landlord is not required to provide the tenant a written notice" (§ 1954(d)(3)).

Special rules for showings

Selling the property has its own track (§ 1954(d)(2)). To show the unit to prospective or actual purchasers, the landlord may give notice orally, in person or by phone — but only if the landlord first "notified the tenant in writing within 120 days of the oral notice that the property is for sale and that the landlord or agent may contact the tenant orally" for showings. Even then, 24 hours is still the presumed-reasonable amount, and "[a]t the time of entry, the landlord or agent shall leave written evidence of the entry inside the unit." Note the limit: this oral shortcut is for sale showings only. Showing the unit to a prospective new tenant still requires the ordinary written 24-hour notice.

Tenant's remedies for unlawful entry

The statute's backstop is § 1954(c): the landlord "may not abuse the right of access or use it to harass the tenant." Section 1954 does not set a fixed dollar penalty, so a tenant's remedies come from general law — a claim for invasion of privacy or trespass, an injunction to stop repeated intrusions, actual damages, and, where the entries are severe enough to make the home unlivable, a constructive-eviction or harassment claim. The duty runs both ways in practice: a tenant may not unreasonably refuse a lawful, properly-noticed entry, but if a tenant does refuse, the landlord's answer is the court process — a notice to perform or quit and, if needed, a court order — not forcing the door.

What trips people up

"24 hours" is a presumption, and mailing changes the math. Section 1954(d)(1) presumes 24 hours' written notice is reasonable, but a mailed notice is presumed reasonable only if sent at least six days before the entry. A landlord who drops a notice in the mail the day before has not given valid notice.

A lease cannot buy the landlord a broader right to enter. Because § 1954(a) says a landlord may enter "only in the following cases," a lease clause promising the landlord the right to inspect at will or enter for unlisted reasons does not override the statute — the enumerated list controls.

The oral-notice option is narrow. Oral notice is allowed only for (1) a sale showing after a written 120-day heads-up (§ 1954(d)(2)) or (2) an agreed repair the tenant and landlord schedule within a week (§ 1954(d)(3)). Every other entry needs the written 24-hour notice.

Common questions

Can my California landlord just show up and let themselves in? No. Except for a genuine emergency, an entry with your consent while you're there, or after you've moved out, the landlord must give at least 24 hours' written notice stating the date, time, and purpose, and may enter only during normal business hours (§ 1954(b), (d)(1), (e)).

Does my landlord need notice to enter in an emergency? No. "To respond to an emergency" is one of the three situations that require no notice at all (§ 1954(e)) — but it has to be a real emergency, like a fire or a burst pipe.

My landlord is selling the place and keeps calling to schedule showings. Is a phone call enough notice? Only if they first gave you written notice, within the last 120 days, that the property is for sale and that they may contact you by phone for showings. Then oral notice (still about 24 hours) is allowed, and they must leave written proof of the entry inside (§ 1954(d)(2)).

What can I do if my landlord keeps entering without notice? The landlord "may not abuse the right of access or use it to harass the tenant" (§ 1954(c)). You can document each entry and pursue civil remedies — invasion of privacy, trespass, an injunction, or damages — and severe, repeated intrusions can support a constructive-eviction claim.

Statutes and sources

• Cal. Civ. Code § 1954 — the exclusive list of lawful entry reasons (a); normal-business-hours limit (b); no-harassment rule (c); the 24-hour written-notice rule, delivery methods, six-day mail rule, sale-showing oral notice, and oral agreed-repair option (d); and the three no-notice situations (e). https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&sectionNum=1954. (accessed 2026-08-12)
• Cal. Health & Safety Code § 17973 — the multifamily exterior-elevated-element inspection duty and the owner's responsibility to comply, which § 1954(a)(6) makes an authorized entry purpose. https://www.ojai.ca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2764/Bill-Text---AB-130 (accessed 2026-08-12)